Claims by specialty: MPL Association’s 2017-2021 national closed claim data

November 17, 2023

by Tanya Babitch, Assistant Vice President, Risk Management

When meeting with physicians, risk managers at Texas Medical Liability Trust (TMLT) are often asked to identify prevalent liability risks by specialty. The Medical Professional Liability (MPL) Association, a trade association of medical liability insurance companies, has been compiling data on medical claims since 1985 as part of its Data Sharing Project (DSP). Data sharing with the MPL Association allows insurers, including TMLT, to identify specialty-specific liability trends.

Since its inception, MPL Association members have shared more than 350,000 physician and dental professional claims with the DSP. (1) The DSP was created “to provide critical information needed to pinpoint areas of medical practice that have proven most vulnerable to MPL claims as well as support efforts seeking effective medical liability reform.” (2)  

The following is a compilation of medical malpractice claim data from 2017 to 2021, submitted by member companies of the MPL Association. When submitting data, companies report data in a de-identified, codified format. Personally identifying information, such as names of claimants and insureds are not reported.

More than 32,000 closed claims and lawsuits were reported to the DSP between 2017 and 2021. During this period, the average cost to defend these claims was approximately $48,000 and nearly one-third of all claims (27.5%) resulted in an indemnity payment. The average indemnity payment to the claimant was $356,572. However, 65.9% of submitted closed claims were either dropped, withdrawn, or dismissed without indemnity payment to the claimant. (2)

The following report highlights the top five presenting medical conditions; chief medical factors; and outcomes per specialty. The paid-to-closed ratio is also provided. (3)

  • The chief medical factors categorize the general allegation or reason for claim against the medical provider. Please note, the MPL Association has implemented process changes within the past few years. For some specialties reported below, one of the top chief medical factors was in a no longer existing/reportable category. Those have been excluded from the information below.
  • The presenting medical condition is the disease, symptom, complaint, or reason for the patient’s visit; significant to the treatment provided at the time of the accident or incident.
  • The outcome is the medical condition that occurred after a medical encounter and led to the chief medical factor named in the claim. (4)

When reviewing this information, consider that some specialties may have a very low reported claim volume. This provides context and helps to explain information that seems counter-intuitive for a particular specialty.

For example, a medical outcome that seems unusual for a specialty may be due to a report of only one claim — and this claim could be an outlier. In addition, “top” presenting medical conditions or outcomes may reflect an incident that involved one patient, but multiple physicians or providers. Depending on the manner of the claim(s) submission — one versus multiple claims — this may make an issue appear more significant. Other outliers might include events such as a fall in the office that caused an injury, or other issues not directly related to the patient’s presenting condition. These outcomes might appear especially prominent if the specialty has few reported claims.

What follows is a snapshot summary of claims by specialty. This information is designed for use as a risk management tool to inform physicians about the nationwide risk trends for their specialty. We have included a 5-year span to capture pre-pandemic claims data.

The average indemnity for medical specialties is shown in the graph below, by lowest to highest average indemnity. Specialties with fewer than five paid claims during the 5-year timeframe are not included in the data. (5)



 

Allergy & Immunology*

Paid-to-close ratio: 26.1%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Medication/IV Fluids: Adverse drug reaction
  3. Medication/IV Fluids: Contraindication

Top presenting medical conditions:

  • Encounter for other special examination without complaint, suspected or reported diagnosis
  • Vasomotor and allergic rhinitis
  • Adverse effects, not elsewhere classified (NEC)
  • Allergy status to drugs, medicaments and biological substances
  • Encounter for procedures for purposes other than remedying health state

Top outcomes

  • Adverse effects, NEC
  • Other complications of surgical and medical care
  • Emotional distress only
  • Fracture at wrist and hand level
  • Hepatic failure, NEC

  

Anesthesiology

Paid-to-close ratio: 28.4%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Medication/IV fluids: Adverse drug reaction

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Dorsalgia
  • Pain, NEC
  • Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbrosacral intervertebral disc disorders
  • Other spondylopathies
  • Osteoarthritis of the knee

Top outcomes:

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of nervous system, NEC
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, NEC
  • Other disorders of brain

 

Cardiology (Cardiovascular Disease)

Paid-to-close ratio: 26.6%

 Top chief medical factors: 

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  3. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Chronic ischemic heart disease
  • Atrial fibrillation and flutter
  • Acute myocardial infarction
  • Pain in throat and chest
  • Other cardiac arrhythmias

Top outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, NEC
  • Acute myocardial infarction
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Cerebral infarction


 

Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery

 Paid-to-close ratio: 25.3%

 Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Chronic ischemic heart disease
  • Aortic aneurysm and dissection
  • Nonrheumatic aortic valve disorders
  • Acute myocardial infarction
  • Arterial embolism and thrombosis

Top outcomes 

  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of circulatory system, NEC
  • Cerebral infarction
  • Complications of cardiac and vascular prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts

 

Critical and Intensive Care Medicine (combined specialties)*

 Paid-to-close ratio: 20%

 Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Not performed when indicated
  2. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  3. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Symptoms and signs specifically associated with systemic inflammation and infection
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Peritonitis
  • Unspecified kidney failure
  • Hypotension

Top Outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Gangrene, NEC
  • Disorders of retroperitoneum
  • Hemiplegia and hemiparesis


 

Dermatology

Paid-to-close ratio: 22.3%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  3. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin
  • Encounter for procedures for purposes other than remedying health state
  • Other disorders of skin and subcutaneous tissue, NEC
  • Malignant melanoma of skin
  • Follicular cysts of skin and subcutaneous tissue

Top outcomes

  • Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin
  • Atrophic disorders of skin
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Malignant melanoma of skin
  • Emotional distress only


 

Emergency Medicine

Paid-to-close ratio: 27.3%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Not performed when indicated
  3. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Abdominal and pelvic pain
  • Pain in throat and chest
  • Dorsalgia
  • Headache
  • Fever of other and unknown origin

Top outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Cerebral infarction
  • Paraplegia (paraparesis) and quadriplegia (quadriparesis)
  • Acute appendicitis
  • Other disorders of brain


 

Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism*

Paid-to-close ratio: 19.4%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Not performed when Indicated
  3. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Female infertility
  • Other hypothyroidism
  • Neoplasm of uncertain behavior of endocrine glands
  • Other disorders of adrenal gland
  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Top Outcomes

  • Emotional distress only
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Acquired absence of organs, NEC
  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Other anxiety disorders

  

Family Medicine

Paid-to-close ratio: 33.9%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  3. Diagnostic: Unavailable/failure to diagnose

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Dorsalgia
  • Encounter for general examination without complaint, suspected or reported diagnosis
  • Abdominal and pelvic pain
  • Pain, NEC
  • Pain in throat and chest

Top outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung
  • Emotional distress only
  • Complications of procedures, NEC


 

Gastroenterology

Paid-to-close ratio: 23.7%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  3. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Encounter for screening of malignant neoplasms
  • Abdominal and pelvic pain
  • Other disease of digestive system
  • Other diseases of esophagus
  • Cholelithiasis

Top Outcomes

  • Accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, NEC
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of digestive system, NEC
  • Other diseases of intestine
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Injury of intra-abdominal organs

 

General Surgery & Bariatrics (combined specialties)

Paid-to-close ratio: 30.9%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Cholelithiasis
  • Cholecystitis
  • Overweight and obesity
  • Abdominal and pelvic pain
  • Diverticular disease of intestine

Top outcomes

  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of digestive system, NEC
  • Accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, NEC
  • Injury of intra-abdominal organs
  • Other diseases of intestine

  

Hand Surgery

Paid-to-close ratio: 18.8%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Fracture at wrist and hand level
  • Fracture of forearm
  • Mononeuropathies of upper limb
  • Dislocation and sprain of joints and ligaments at wrist and hand level
  • Synovitis and tenosynovitis

Top Outcomes

  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Disorders of retroperitoneum
  • Complications of internal orthopedic prosthetic devices, implants and grafts
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of nervous system
  • Other and unspecified soft tissue disorders, NEC

  

Hospital Medicine (Hospitalist)

Paid-to-close ratio: 21.7%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  3. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Pneumonia, unspecified organism
  • Abnormalities of breathing
  • Other sepsis
  • Pain in throat and chest
  • Type 2 diabetes mellitus

Top Outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Other sepsis
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Symptoms and signs specifically associated with systemic inflammation and infection
  • Intracranial and intraspinal abscess and granuloma


 

Infectious Disease

Paid-to-close ratio: 16.2%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  3. Medication/IV Fluids: Adverse drug reaction

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Osteomyelitis
  • Other sepsis
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Complications of internal orthopedic prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts
  • Intracranial and intraspinal abscess and granuloma

Top outcomes

  • Acute kidney failure
  • Intracranial and intraspinal abscess and granuloma
  • Other sepsis
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Symptoms and signs specifically associated with systemic inflammation and infection

 

Internal Medicine

Paid-to-close ratio: 24.2 %

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Unavailable/failure to diagnose
  3. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Abdominal and pelvic pain
  • Pain in throat and chest
  • Abnormalities of breathing
  • Dorsalgia
  • Pressure ulcer

Top outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Cerebral infarction
  • Pressure ulcer
  • Other sepsis

  

Nephrology

Paid-to-close ratio: 16.9%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  3. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Chronic kidney disease
  • Acute kidney failure
  • Other disorders of fluid, electrolyte and acid-base balance
  • Unspecified kidney failure
  • Abnormalities of breathing

Top outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Other sepsis
  • Symptoms and signs specifically associated with systemic inflammation and infection
  • Other demyelinating diseases of central nervous system
  • Shock, NEC

 

Neurological Surgery

Paid-to-close ratio: 26.5%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders
  • Other spondylopathies
  • Dorsalgia
  • Cervical disc disorders
  • Spondylosis

Top outcomes

  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of nervous system, NEC
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Paraplegia (paraparesis) and quadriplegia (quadriparesis)
  • Complications of internal orthopedic prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts
  • Other paralytic syndromes

 

Neurology

Paid-to-close ratio: 31.5%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  3. Diagnostic: Unavailable/failure to diagnose

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Cerebral infarction
  • Dorsalgia
  • Headache
  • horacic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders
  • Epilepsy and recurrent seizures

Top outcomes

  • Cerebral infarction
  • Emotional distress only
  • Paraplegia (paraparesis) and quadriplegia (quadriparesis)
  • Blindness and low vision
  • Other disorders of brain

  

Obstetrics & Gynecology (combined specialties)

Paid-to-close ratio: 33.2%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  3. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Leiomyoma of uterus
  • Pregnant state
  • Excessive, frequent, and irregular menstruation
  • Encounter for supervision of normal pregnancy
  • Other obstructed labor

Top outcomes

  • Birth injury to peripheral nervous system
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Other disturbances of cerebral status of newborn
  • Emotional distress only
  • Accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, NEC

  

Oncology & Hematology (combined specialties)

Paid-to-close ratio: 18.3 %

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Medication/IV fluids: Contraindication
  3. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Malignant neoplasm (without specification of site)
  • Malignant neoplasm of breast
  • Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung
  • Malignant neoplasm of colon
  • Other specified and unspecified types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Top outcomes

  • Unspecified parasitic disease
  • Cardiac arrest
  • econdary malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified sites
  • Respiratory failure, NEC
  • Poisoning by, adverse effect of, and underdosing of primarily systemic and hematological agents, NEC

  

Ophthalmology

Paid-to-close ratio: 20.2%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication of treatment
  3. Procedure: Unavailable/not performed when indicated

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Other cataract
  • Age-related cataract
  • Disorders of refraction and accommodation
  • Retinal detachments and breaks
  • Glaucoma

Top outcomes

  • Blindness and low vision
  • Poisoning by; adverse effect of; and underdosing of diuretics and other unspecified drugs, medicaments, and biological substances
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Visual disturbances
  • Retinal detachments and breaks

  

Orthopedic Surgery

Paid-to-close ratio: 34.3%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Procedure: Unavailable/not performed when indicated

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Other joint disorder, NEC
  • Osteoarthritis of knee
  • Osteoarthritis of hip
  • Fracture of lower leg, including ankle
  • Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders

Top outcomes

  • Other joint disorder, NEC
  • Complications of internal orthopedic prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Other acquired deformities of limbs
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of nervous system, NEC

 

Otorhinolaryngology

Paid-to-close ratio: 32.5%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Chronic sinusitis
  • Encounter for procedures for purposes other than remedying health state
  • Other and unspecified disorders of nose and nasal sinuses
  • Chronic diseases of tonsils and adenoids
  • Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, not elsewhere classified

Top outcomes

  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, NEC
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complication and disorders of nervous system, NEC
  • Diseases of vocal cords and larynx, NEC
  • Unhappy with results of plastic surgery

 

Pain Management

Paid-to-close ratio: 37.7%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Medication/IV Fluids: Wrong Storage
  3. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Dorsalgia
  • Pain, NEC
  • Spondylosis
  • Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders
  • Other spondylopathies

Top outcomes

  • Intracranial and intraspinal abscess and granuloma
  • Emotional distress only
  • Complications of other internal prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts
  • Dorsalgia
  • Poisoning by; adverse effect of; and underdosing of narcotics and psychodysleptics

 

Pathology

Paid-to-close ratio: 30.4%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Unavailable/Failure to diagnose
  3. Diagnostic: Wrong patient

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Unspecified lump in breast
  • Malignant neoplasm of breast
  • Abdominal and pelvic pain
  • Other disorders of skin and subcutaneous tissue, NEC
  • Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin

Top outcomes

  • Emotional distress only
  • Malignant melanoma of skin
  • Malignant neoplasm of breast
  • Acquired absence of organs, NEC
  • Other anxiety disorders

  

Pediatrics

Paid-to-close ratio: 29.6%

Top chief medical factors:

Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate

Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate

Diagnostic: Not performed when indicated

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Encounter for general examination without complaint, suspected or reported diagnosis
  • Disorders of newborn related to short gestation and low birth weight, NEC
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Encounter for procedures for purposes other than remedying health state
  • Neonatal jaundice from other and unspecified causes

Top outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Emotional distress only
  • Other disorders of brain
  • Intracranial laceration due to birth injury
  • Other disturbances of cerebral status of newborn 


Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Paid-to-close ratio: 28.3%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate
  3. Medication/IV fluids: Adverse drug reaction

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Dorsalgia
  • Pain, NEC
  • Thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbosacral intervertebral disc disorders
  • Other joint disorder, NEC
  • Encounter for other aftercare and medical care

Top outcomes

  • Poisoning by, adverse effect of and underdosing of narcotics and psychodysleptics
  • Cardiac arrest
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of nervous system, NEC
  • Pressure ulcer
  • Dorsalgia

 

Plastic Surgery

Paid-to-close ratio: 26%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Procedure: Wrong process/treatment/procedure

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Encounter for procedures for purposes other than remedying health state
  • Other disorders of breast
  • Hypertrophy of breast
  • Complications of other internal prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts
  • Malignant neoplasm of breast

Top outcomes

  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Unhappy with results of plastic surgery
  • Complications of other internal prosthetic devices, implants, and grafts
  • Disorders of retroperitoneum
  • Emotional distress only

 

Psychiatry

Paid-to-close ratio: 25.7%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Medication/IV fluids: Adverse drug reaction
  3. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Bipolar disorder
  • Symptoms and signs involving emotional state
  • Major depressive disorder, single episode
  • Major depressive disorder, recurrent
  • Unspecified psychosis not due to a substance or known physiological condition

Top outcomes

  • Emotional distress only
  • Injury of unspecified body region
  • Other anxiety disorders
  • Symptoms and signs involving emotional state
  • Cardiac arrest

 

 Pulmonary disease

Paid-to-close ratio: 16.4%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  3. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Respiratory failure, NEC
  • Abnormalities of breathing
  • Pneumonia, unspecified organism
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Other disorders of brain

Top outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Other sepsis
  • Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung
  • Other disorders of brain
  • Pulmonary embolism

  

Radiation Therapy

Paid-to-close ratio: 19.2%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Procedure: Wrong process/Treatment/Procedure

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Malignant neoplasm of prostate
  • Other and unspecified malignant neoplasm of skin
  • Malignant neoplasm of brain
  • Malignant neoplasm of breast
  • Secondary malignant neoplasm of other and unspecified sites

Top outcomes

  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Radiation sickness, unspecified
  • Other anxiety disorders
  • Fissure and fistula of anal and rectal regions
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of genitourinary system, NEC

  

Radiology

Paid-to-close ratio: 30.2%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Unavailable/failure to diagnose
  3. Procedure: Incomplete/inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Abdominal and pelvic pain
  • Dorsalgia
  • Encounter for screening for malignant neoplasms
  • Unspecified lump in breast
  • Other joint disorder, NEC

Top outcomes

  • Malignant neoplasm of breast
  • Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung
  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Cerebral infarction
  • Cardiac arrest

 

Urgent Care

Paid-to-close ratio: 30.8%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Diagnostic: Not performed when indicated
  3. Medication/IV fluids: Adverse drug reaction

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Cough
  • Abdominal and pelvic pain
  • Dislocation and sprain of joints and ligaments of thorax
  • Dorsalgia
  • Other fluke infections

Top outcomes

  • Cardiac arrest
  • Malignant neoplasm of bronchus and lung
  • Other inflammatory spondylopathies
  • Osteonecrosis
  • Scoliosis

  

Urology

Paid-to-close ratio: 26.4%

Top chief medical factors:

  1. Procedure: Incomplete/Inadequate
  2. Procedure: Failure to recognize complication
  3. Diagnostic: Incomplete/Inadequate

Top presenting medical conditions

  • Malignant neoplasm of prostate
  • Calculus of kidney and ureter
  • Benign prostatic hyperplasia
  • Obstructive and reflux uropathy
  • Other disorders of urinary system

Top outcomes

  • Complications of procedures, NEC
  • Accidental puncture or laceration during a procedure, NEC
  • Malignant neoplasm of bladder
  • Malignant neoplasm of prostate
  • Intraoperative and postprocedural complications and disorders of genitourinary system, NEC

 

* Specialty had fewer than 50 claims reported to the DSP from 2017-2021.

 

Sources

  1. Data Sharing Project. Medical Professional Liability Association. Available at https://www.mplassociation.org/data-sharing-project. Accessed August 30, 2023.
  2. Data Sharing Project Dashboard. MPL Closed Claims Snapshot (2010-2021). Medical Professional Liability Association.
  3. Data Sharing Project Dashboard. Data analysis by TMLT. Copyright 2021. MPL Association.
  4. MPL Association Data Sharing Project Reference Manual, 2021. © 2021 MPL Association.
  5. Data Sharing Project Dashboard. MPL Specialty Snapshot (2010-2021). Medical Professional Liability Association.

Tanya Babitch can be reached at tanya-babitch@tmlt.org.

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